Small Group, In-Country Tour

Chichicastenango

Join on a tour that focuses on Guatemala’s vibrant Mayan culture and its Hispanic colonial heritage.

Enjoy the spectacular setting of Lake Atitlan, the historic charm of Antigua, a Kite Festival and the colorful market of Chichicastenango.

Tour Features

This 10-day tour will immerse you in the rich languages, dress, and traditions of the Mayan peoples as well as provide a cultural and social context through insightful lectures and visits to scenic and historic sites including:

• 

  Colonial Antigua

  Colonial Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage site

• The Tz’utujil Mayan community of San Juan la Laguna on Lake Atitlán
• One of Latin America’s largest outdoor indigenous markets in the Kíche Mayan village of Chichicastenango
• Iximché, a sacred pre-Columbian archeological site with deep Mayan significance
• A Kite Festival, a stunning Kaqchikel Mayan Celebration honoring ancestors with vibrant, larger-than-life kites
• Kaminal Juyú, where you will observe a Mayan ceremony
• San Juan Comalapa, home of many Kaqchikel painters and the largest hand-painted mural in Guatemala

You will also participate in a cooking class, make chocolate, tour a coffee plantation, and visit a weaving cooperative.

Transportation and Fees

Iximché

The tour fee of $2,000 US per person includes all lodging, meals, and transportation in Central America, including to and from the airport. A deposit of $1000 is due August 25. The balance is due October 24.

Tour participants should plan to arrive in Guatemala City on October 30 and depart November 10. Participants are responsible to arrange and pay for their transportation to and from Guatemala City.

Optional Trip to Tikal

For an additional fee of approximately $500, CASAS will arrange a trip to Tikal on the day following the GuateMaya Tour. This includes flights to and from Tikal, a tour of the ruins, and a one-night hotel stay. To accommodate this excursion, spending one or two additional days at the SEMILLA guesthouse may be necessary.

Accommodations

In Guatemala City, we will stay at the SEMILLA campus guesthouse. Hotels are arranged for all offsite visits.